ENEWS: Election Consensus, Give to the Max, Brandl Celebration

Date Published: 11/09/2018

Author: Dane Smith

An Election Consensus, for a More Equitable Minnesota

In an election marked by record high turnout, the people of the North Star State have spoken and reaffirmed our direction. Bottom line, we have a larger and stronger consensus for a more inclusive prosperity. In most every single statewide race, and in the contest for control of the Minnesota House, the winning candidates were those who stood up for a more equitable economy, for racial justice, for climate action, for more investment in human capital and physical infrastructure, and for a more welcoming embrace of newcomers and people of color. But we still have a divided state government and so we now need to seek compromise and common- sense solutions that unite rural and metro, people of all colors and genders, rich and poor and middle-class, business and labor. In the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln in his Second Inaugural Address, it’s time to bind up our wounds, with “malice toward none and charity toward all’’ and do everything we can “to achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves.’’

Give to the Max, for Growth & Justice

Growth & Justice for 16 years has been leading the way toward a consensus for equity in Minnesota, and practical public policy and investments that create a broader prosperity. Our latest endeavor in partnership with OneMN.org, the Thriving by Design project and the One Minnesota Equity Blueprint, is focused on both the rural-metro dimension and how we can erase the disparities that plague all our communities. This is an audacious undertaking for a relatively small non-profit (our annual budget is less than $400,000) and we’re proud of “punching above our weight.’’ We’d like to compete in a higher weight class and to do that we need your continued and increased financial support. We earnestly ask that you give to Growth & Justice, if you haven’t yet, and to give more if you’ve given in the past, and to help us in other ways to spread the word. You can give through Give to the Max Day on November 15 or directly on our website.

Come to Our Ecumenical Brandl Celebration Nov. 26

In the spirit of nonpartisanship and bridging ideological divides, Growth & Justice is proud to be a founding partner of the annual “Celebration of John Brandl and His Uncommon Quest for Common Ground.’’ The event was established a decade ago, shortly after the death of Brandl, a state senator and an academic who was highly regarded for his efforts to work across the aisle on public policy. We are extending an invitation once again to the 10th annual Brandl convening, at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 26, at the Cowles Auditorium in University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. The theme this year is “Grasping and Reducing Poverty in Minnesota. “ Partnering groups for the Brandl event include policy advocates that often disagree on policy and priorities, including Growth & Justice, the Citizens League, the Caux Roundtable for Moral Capitalism, the Humphrey School, and the Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think tank.

Please Join Thriving by Design in Hinckley, Dec 10-11

Join OneMN.org and Growth & Justice for THRIVING BY DESIGN BLUEPRINT CONVENING to bookmark the beginning of a new chapter and affirmation of the One Minnesota Equity Blueprint, for a future where equity drives growth and we build a thriving, inclusive, economy. The Blueprint Convening is a bookend to several months work with Minnesotans to explore policies that intersect within the system and are integral to thriving communities. Those who participate this December will lead the final deliberation and democratic process to finalize the first iteration of the One Minnesota Equity Blueprint to be presented to the new governor, legislature, and back out to communities. Register through Eventbrite HERE.

Quote:

“Everybody is sad when their side loses an election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We’re not Democrats first; we’re not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country.” -- Barack Obama, Nov. 9, 2016, the day after President Trump was elected president.